EU slaps sanctions on Syrians and Russians over Skripal attack

The European Union is imposing sanctions on Russians blamed for a nerve agent attack in Britain and a Syrian research centre, as the bloc steps up its action against the use of chemical weapons.

EU foreign ministers on Monday slapped travel bans and asset freezes on nine people and on Syria's Scientific Studies and Research Centre.

Five of those targeted are linked to the Syrian centre's activities, Associated Press reports.

The four Russians on the list are the two men accused of planting the nerve agent in Salisbury last March, named by the UK as intelligence officers Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov.

Their superiors - the head and deputy head of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence unit are the remaining two people and their names to be published in the EU’s Official Journal tomorrow, when the sanctions come into force.

The EU ministers said in a statement that the sanctions move "contributes to the EU's efforts to counter the proliferation and use of chemical weapons, which poses a serious threat to international security".

However Russia has slammed the decision, labelling it "groundless".

"They are suspected groundlessly," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told media in a conference call, according to Reuters.

"We have still not heard any evidence."

Petrov and Boshirov are accused of attempting to murder Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

However, the two men have denied any involvement in the incident, which saw toxic nerve agent Novichok sprayed on Skripal’s front door in Salisbury, UK.